Heart attack victims are 19mins from the nearest defibrillator

IF you have a heart attack in the UK, you will be an average of 19 minutes away from a defibrillator, research shows.

Experts warned a lack of the devices in public places was putting lives at risk, as a delay in getting to one could “make the difference between life and death”.

Survival rates after a heart attack are 70 per cent if a defibrillator is used within five minutes – but drop by 10 per cent for every minute of further delay.

In a study, researchers mapped the exact walking distance for a bystander to get help from every defibrillator registered in the UK.

The British Heart Foundation analysed data on 78,000 public access defibrillators and found one is an average of 726 metres by road away from the centre of any given postcode.

Dr Chris Wilkinson, lead researcher, consultant cardiologist and senior lecturer at Hull York Medical School, warned that Britain has too few of the lifesaving machines. “Our study has clearly shown that defibrillators are too far away and a few minutes of delay can make the difference between life and death,” he said. “We need to make sure the average is brought down.”

More than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year in the UK, on average 200 a day.

“Seven out of ten cardiac arrests occur in the home or a workplace and half are witnessed by a bystander. Yet nearly three in ten cardiac arrests happen on the weekend and four in ten between 6pm and 6am.

Co-author Prof Chris Gale, of Leeds University, said: “Our research shows that community defibrillators are not an option for many people who suffer cardiac arrest, especially those living in areas of deprivation.

“This is putting lives at risk. Urgent action is needed to give everyone the same access to these devices, which will prevent unnecessary deaths.”

Judy O’sullivan, health innovation director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Bystander CPR and defibrillation can double the chance of survival from a cardiac arrest, so it is crucial that we address the unequal access to defibrillators in order to improve survival rates.”

Michael Bradfield, director at Resuscitation Council UK, added: “It’s crucial that everyone, no matter where they live, has access to a defibrillator and understands that they are easy to use. No specialist training is required.”

The findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Amsterdam at the weekend.